Share this

Make no mistake - this "no abortion without exception" platform is the Romney-Ryan-Akin plank. Mitt Romney is the nominee; Mitt Romney named the platform committee chair; Mitt Romney had staff in the drafting process; Mitt Romney owns this platform. Mitt Romney shepherds the process - he cannot pretend the Akin plank is a lost sheep somehow bleating its way into the flock.

When the race was close, Republicans called for a brokered convention - now the Republicans have a brokered convention but not over a candidate rather over the soul of their party. This Romney-Ryan-Akin plank is very offensive to Americans. The RNC aide who called rape a "granular detail" left to the states slapped millions of abuse survivors in the face. Like hundreds of thousands of prosecutors across America, I know firsthand that forcible or non-forcible, rape is a devastating crime whose victims deserve our aid comfort and support.

But there is an easy solution to the speculation: If Mitt Romney believes with the vast majority of Americans that abortion should be legal in cases of rape and incest he can amend his own platform at the convention next week. It is time for Mitt Romney to put up or show up: amend the Republican platform to reflect what he says he truly believes. And answer this: will he appoint Supreme Court justices who support abortion in cases of rape and incest?

More POLITICO Arena

About the Arena

The Arena is a cross-party, cross-discipline forum for intelligent and lively conversation about political and policy issues. Contributors have been selected by POLITICO staff and editors. Each morning, POLITICO sends a question based on that day's news to all contributors.